⏳Slaves to Fear

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“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” – Psalm 4:8

Hello stewards!

I’ve been thinking a lot about fear and how it affects our work.

When I was a kid I remember being chased by a dog and I climbed a tree faster than I ever thought was possible.

Fear made me fast.

And as an adult, often fear makes me fast at my work too.

I think some of our most efficient moments are often driven by fear.

  • Fear of missing a deadline
  • Fear of consequences
  • Fear over our finances

These fears can make us work hard, they can make us get a lot done (especially when it’s the last minute!).

Fear may make us run fast. But we’re running scared.

But fear shouldn’t be the standard fuel that powers a productive Christian.

I was reading the Psalms earlier this week and paused over Psalm 4:8, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” As I read it, I felt my shoulders relax. I felt myself breathing more deeply.

God takes care of us!

The same God who clothes the lilies and feeds the birds is looking out for our needs. It doesn’t all come down to my abilities or personal productivity.

It’s just so much better to pursue your productivity from a place of peace.

We who are in Christ are able to work from the incredible confidence that our debt is paid. The quality and quantity of our work are not the basis on which we will be commended to God. So our productivity should not be driven by fear but gratitude.

✨ New on Redeeming Productivity

🎙How to Write a Book with Dr. Peter Sammons (72 mins)

In this episode, Dr. Peter Sammons and I discuss the process of writing a book. How do you go from idea to written final version? We also talk about our experience navigating the world of publishing. And most importantly, whether you’re writing a book or just doing some other side project, we talk about how you can make progress on long-term projects while still balancing the rest of life’s responsibilities.

Make sure you’re subscribed to the Redeeming Productivity Show so you don’t miss an episode.

🧑‍💻The Roundup

The Harvest of Homemaking (5 mins)

“Homemakers often find ourselves without support — not physical support, the absence of which is so loudly reflected on, but rather the spiritual support of understanding why this field of work is glorious, worthy, essential, God-honoring, and strategic.“

(Rachel Jankovic / Desiring God)

The Case for Not Treating NFTs as a Scam (10 mins)

“Why would I buy a jpeg I can copy and paste for free?”

(Stephen McCaskell & Patrick Miller / Christianity Today)

Toolkit for Sleep (5 mins)

This is an awesome roundup of the best and most up-to-date science of how to get better sleep. There’s also a link in the article to a podcast covering the same data if you’d rather listen than read.

Best nootropic: sleep
Best stress relief: sleep
Best trauma release: sleep
Best immune booster: sleep
Best hormone augmentation: sleep
Best emotional stabilizer: sleep”

(Andrew D. Huberman / Huberman Lab)

Every Need Is Not a Call (4 mins)

“As we try to discern the often blurry lines between good, better, and best, we should prayerfully consider our passions, priorities, and providential circumstances.”

(Aimee Joseph / The Gospel Coalition)

How to Preach Your First Sermon: Thoughts and Advice (5 mins)

Advice for anyone preaching for the first time.

“So what do I say to someone who is about to preach his very first sermon? Preach faithfully, but keep two things in mind: 1. Over prepare. 2. Keep it short.”

(David Qaoud / Gospel Relevance)

How a Simple Math Equation Can Transform Your Productivity (3 mins)

This is a great reminder.

“The outcome makes sense to the astrophysicist in me. But in the dream, I was staring at this equation as a mathematical beginner, completely befuddled by the result. How could that be? If you multiply two numbers together, shouldn’t the result be greater than each part?”

(Ozan Varol / Next Big Idea Club)

👍 Something I Like

One of my good friends from seminary recently started a pro-life clothing brand called For Life Apparel.

The designs are awesome. And the really cool part is they donate 25% of profits to providing free ultrasounds for moms considering abortion.

Check out www.forlifeapparel.com

🖋Quote of the Week

If ye knew the sterling worth of time, ye would shrink from the smallest waste of so precious a thing.

– Charles Spurgeon

Resurfaced with Readwise.

🎓 Redeeming Productivity Academy

Here’s a peek at what’s happening this month in Redeeming Productivity Academy:

  • Goal Setting & The Glory of God. This month’s training focuses on how to set effective goals as a Christian, and specifically how you consciously tie your objectives back to your main mission of bringing glory to God with your life.
  • Book Club: The ONE Thing. We’re be reading The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. Follow the weekly reading schedule and discuss the book together.
  • January Habit Challenge. Come get your streak on with the January Habit Challenge. Choose one habit, mark every day you do it successfully, and win prizes.
  • Toolshed: Beginner’s Guide to Apple Shortcuts. We’ll be talking about how to use Shortcuts on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac to save time, optimize your devotional time, and be more productive.
  • Offices Hours. Stop by my weekly office hours to get help on a productivity problem, enjoy some casual banter, or just hang out with me and other RPA members.
  • And much more. The membership also includes to all past trainings, Toolshed sessions, and access to our always-interesting online community.

Join the community to grow in your personal development, get accountability for your goals, and connect with other productivity-minded believers!

Come join us!

🤠 Pardners*

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  • Redeem your commute by listening to audiobooks from Audible. Listen free for one month.
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*Pardners are paid classifieds or affiliate links that support Reagan’s Roundup. To enquire about placing a classified ad in Reagan’s Roundup, simply reply to this email.

⌛️That’s All for this Week

Hit reply to send me link suggestions for future issues or just to say hey.

I’ll see you next time!

– Reagan

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